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Lincoln seniors visit elementary and middle schools

About a dozen graduating seniors from Lincoln High School decided to spend their first days away from high school giving back to the feeder schools that prepared them for success.

Jordan Culver, Tallahassee Democrat 8:12 a.m. EDT May 21, 2014

About a dozen graduating seniors from Lincoln High School decided to spend their first days away from high school giving back to the feeder schools that prepared them for success.

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Teacher BJ Wise hugs Lincoln seniors, Aarti Parmar, left, and Darya Massoudi. Lincoln Trojan seniors started a tradition of giving back. On May 20 they are no longer required to be at school. They are calling the day Ògive back dayÓ and are using the time to thank those who made a difference in their lives. They teachers at Swift Creek Middle School where they have fond memories from attending.(Photo: Glenn Beil Glenn Beil/Democrat)Buy Photo

About a dozen graduating seniors from Lincoln High School decided to spend their first days away from high school giving back to the feeder schools that prepared them for success.

The seniors prepared bags, each filled with candy and an apple, for teachers at W.T. Moore, Buck Lake and Chaires elementary schools and Fairview, Deerlake, Montford and Swift Creek middle schools for the first "Senior Give Back Day."

Graduating senior Ria Shah said teachers at the elementary and middle school levels helped shape Lincoln's graduating class into a successful group of students. Shah attended Buck Lake and Swift Creek before Lincoln, and will attend the University of Florida in the fall.

"We just wanted to thank all of the teachers for helping us grow," she said.

Shah said she also wanted to completely erase the memory from last year's Senior Prank Day at Lincoln. Three 18-year-old Lincoln seniors were arrested last year on charges of vandalism, which caused several thousand dollars worth of damage to Godby, Leon, Lincoln, Rickards and Chiles High Schools, as well as to Florida High.

"We were trying to find a way to restore Lincoln's pride," Shah said. "We just felt like this was a good way to go."

Teachers said they appreciated the gesture from their past students. Most spent time exchanging hugs and talking with the group even after receiving the gift bags. Grace Bigelow, a teacher for eight years at Swift Creek, said seeing her former students was a "rewarding" experience.

"We have an impact on them forever and they have an impact on us," she said. "We know their names, we know where they're going to school, we know their interests. It's touching."